Dr. Suka Dev

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Chapter Seven: Unlocking God's Secrets; The Absolute Truth Revealed

In the last chapter, Lord Krishna taught Arjuna how to control the mind and senses through Dhyana-yoga. Now, Arjuna might be thinking, "Okay, I can control my mind, but what exactly am I connecting with? Who IS God, really?"

This chapter is super important because Krishna is going to reveal incredible secrets about Himself—about His divine energies, how He's connected to everything, and why some people know Him while others don't. It's like God Himself pulling back a cosmic curtain to show you who He truly is!

Krishna Promises Complete Knowledge of Himself¹

graph TD B[Know God with a mind attached and taking shelter in God.] B --> C[Krishna will explain all knowledge and understanding in full.] C --> D[Knowing this, nothing more remains to be known.] D --> E[Among thousands, few strive for perfection; among perfected, few truly know God.]

Śrī Bhagavān, God Himself, began: "Mayi āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam yuñjan mat-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayam samagram mām yathā jñāsyasi tat śṛṇu."¹ He said: "O son of Pritha, pārtha! Listen, śṛṇu, how you can know Me, mām jñāsyasi, completely, samagram, without any doubt, asaṁśayam! This will happen by practicing self-realization, yogam yuñjan, with your mind attached to Me, mayi āsakta-manāḥ, and taking shelter in Me, mat-āśrayaḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Mayi āsakta-manāḥ means 'mind attached to Me.' Krishna is saying the secret to knowing Him completely isn't just about thinking, but about loving connection! And samagram is key: it means 'completely' or 'in full.' God promises to reveal everything about Himself!

"Jñānam te aham sa-vijñānam idam vakṣyāmi aśeṣataḥ yat jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyat jñātavyam avaśiṣyate."² "I, aham, shall explain to you, te vakṣyāmi, this knowledge, jñānam, along with all understanding, sa-vijñānam, in full, aśeṣataḥ! Knowing which, yat jñātvā, nothing more remains to be known, na iha bhūyaḥ anyat jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, in this world, iha!"

"Manuṣyāṇām sahasreṣu kaścit yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām kaścit mām vetti tattvataḥ."³ "Out of many thousands of men, manuṣyāṇām sahasreṣu, someone, kaścit, tries for perfection, yatati siddhaye! And among those who try and achieve perfection, yatatām api siddhānām, hardly anyone, kaścit, truly knows Me, mām vetti tattvataḥ, in reality!" This tells us just how rare and special this knowledge is!

God Explains His Two Amazing Energies⁴

graph TD B1[God's lower material energy has 8 parts:] --> B2[earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, false ego.] B2 --> C[His superior energy is the living entities, who sustain the material world.] C --> D[Everything created comes from these two energies.] D --> E[God is the source of all creation and its dissolution.] E --> F[Nothing is superior to God; everything is strung on Him like pearls on a thread.]

Krishna now explains that everything that exists comes from His two main energies: His lower, material energy and His higher, spiritual energy.

"Bhūmiḥ āpaḥ analaḥ vāyuḥ kham manaḥ buddhiḥ eva ca ahaṅkāraḥ iti iyam me bhinnā prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā."⁴ "Earth, bhūmiḥ; water, āpaḥ; fire, analaḥ; air, vāyuḥ; ether (sky), kham; mind, manaḥ; intelligence, buddhiḥ; and also, eva ca, false ego, ahaṅkāraḥ—these, iti iyam, are My separated, bhinnā, material energies, prakṛtiḥ, divided into eight, aṣṭadhā!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Prakṛtiḥ (pra-kri-tih) is a very important Sanskrit word, kids! It means 'energy' or 'nature.' Here, Krishna is talking about His 'lower' or material energy. The eight parts are like the building blocks of everything we see and touch, and even our thoughts! Ahaṅkāraḥ (a-han-kaa-ra) is the 'false ego'—that feeling of 'I am this body,' which makes us think we're separate from God.

"Aparā iyam itaḥ tu anyām prakṛtim viddhi me parām jīva-bhūtām mahā-bāho yayā idam dhāryate jagat."⁵ "This energy, iyam, is inferior, aparā! But know, viddhi, that besides this, itaḥ tu anyām, there is another, superior, parām, energy of Mine, me prakṛtim! O mighty-armed one, mahā-bāho, this is the living energy, jīva-bhūtām, by which this material world, idam jagat, is sustained or used, yayā dhāryate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: So, kids, Krishna has two energies: a lower one (the material world) and a higher one (the living beings, like us!). We are His jīva-bhūtām (jee-va-bhoo-tam) energy, meaning 'comprising the living entities.' We are His spiritual spark, using the material energy!

"Etat yonīni bhūtāni sarvāṇi iti upadhāraya aham kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayaḥ tathā."⁶ "Know that all created beings, bhūtāni sarvāṇi, have these two natures as their source, etat yonīni iti upadhāraya! I, aham, am the source of everything, prabhavaḥ, and the dissolution, pralayaḥ, of the entire world, kṛtsnasya jagataḥ!"

"Mattaḥ para-taram na anyat kiñcit asti dhanaṁjaya mayi sarvam idam protam sūtre maṇi-gaṇāḥ iva."⁷ "O conqueror of wealth, dhanaṁjaya! There is nothing superior, na anyat kiñcit asti para-taram, beyond Me, mattaḥ! Everything we see, sarvam idam, is strung upon Me, mayi protam, just like pearls, maṇi-gaṇāḥ, on a thread, sūtre iva!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: This is another super famous and beautiful verse, kids! It compares God to the thread holding all pearls together. Each pearl is like a living being or a part of the universe, and Krishna is the invisible, strong thread that connects and holds everything in existence. Without the thread, the pearls scatter!

God is the Essence of Everything⁸

graph TD B[God is the taste in water, light of sun/moon, Om in Vedas, sound in sky, ability in men.] B --> C[God is original fragrance in earth, heat in fire, life in all beings, penance in ascetics.] C --> D[God is the eternal seed of all living entities; intelligence of the intelligent; prowess of powerful.] D --> E[God is the strength of strong, free from passion/attachment.] E --> F[God is sex life among beings that is not against religious principles.] F --> G[All states of goodness, passion, and ignorance come from God.] G --> H[But God is not in them; they are in God.]

Krishna explains that He is the very essence, the fundamental quality, of everything that exists in the material world. He's present in all things, not just as a part, but as the most important element.

"Rasaḥ aham apsu kaunteya prabhā asmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣam nṛṣu."⁸ "O son of Kunti, kaunteya! I, aham, am the taste, rasaḥ, in water, apsu! I am the light, prabhā asmi, in the moon and the sun, śaśi-sūryayoḥ! I am the sacred syllable Om, praṇavaḥ, in all the Vedas, sarva-vedeṣu! I am the sound, śabdaḥ, in the ether (sky), khe! And I am the ability, pauruṣam, in men, nṛṣu!"

"Puṇyaḥ gandhaḥ pṛthivyām ca tejaḥ ca asmi vibhāvasau jīvanam sarva-bhūteṣu tapaḥ ca asmi tapasviṣu."⁹ "I am the original fragrance, puṇyaḥ gandhaḥ, in the earth, pṛthivyām! I am the heat, tejaḥ, in fire, vibhāvasau! I am the life, jīvanam, in all living entities, sarva-bhūteṣu! And I am the penance, tapaḥ, in those who practice austerity, tapasviṣu!"

"Bījam mām sarva-bhūtānām viddhi pārtha sanātanam buddhiḥ buddhi-matām asmi tejaḥ tejasvinām aham."¹⁰ "O son of Pritha, pārtha! Know Me, mām viddhi, as the original, eternal seed, sanātanam bījam, of all living entities, sarva-bhūtānām! I am the intelligence, buddhiḥ, of the intelligent, buddhi-matām! And I am the prowess, tejaḥ, of the powerful, tejasvinām!"

"Balam bala-vatām ca aham kāma-rāga-vivarjitam dharma-aviruddhaḥ bhūteṣu kāmaḥ asmi bharata-ṛṣabha."¹¹ "I am the strength, balam, of the strong, bala-vatām, which is free from passion and attachment, kāma-rāga-vivarjitam! O best among the Bharatas, bharata-ṛṣabha! I am sex life, kāmaḥ, among all beings, bhūteṣu, that is not against religious principles, dharma-aviruddhaḥ!"

"Ye ca eva sāttvikāḥ bhāvāḥ rājasāḥ tāmasāḥ ca ye mattaḥ eva iti tān viddhi na tu aham teṣu te mayi."¹² "And know that all states of being—goodness, sāttvikāḥ bhāvāḥ, passion, rājasāḥ, and ignorance, tāmasāḥ—come from Me, mattaḥ eva iti tān viddhi! But I am not in them, na tu aham teṣu; they are in Me, te mayi!"

Escape Illusion: Surrender to God¹³

graph TD B[The universe is deluded by three material qualities; does not know God who is beyond.] B --> C[God's divine energy Maya is hard to overcome; but those who surrender to God cross it.] C --> D[Miscreants, foolish, lowest of mankind do not surrender.] D --> E[Their knowledge is stolen by illusion; they accept a demonic nature.]

Krishna explains that the entire world is confused by the three material qualities and does not know Him, who is truly beyond them. He then reveals that His divine illusory energy, Maya, is very difficult to overcome, but those who surrender to Him can cross it.

"Tribhiḥ guṇa-mayaiḥ bhāvaiḥ ebhiḥ sarvam idam jagat mohitam na abhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam."¹³ "The whole universe, sarvam idam jagat, is deluded, mohitam, by these three states of being made of the qualities, tribhiḥ guṇa-mayaiḥ bhāvaiḥ ebhiḥ! It does not know Me, na abhijānāti mām, who am beyond these, ebhyaḥ param, and inexhaustible, avyayam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Remember those three qualities, guṇas (goo-nas)—goodness, passion, and ignorance? Krishna says the whole world is confused (mohitam) by them, so they can't see God, who is beyond their influence. Avyayam means 'inexhaustible' or 'imperishable.'

"Daivī hi eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etām taranti te."¹⁴ "My divine, daivī, energy, eṣā māyā, which is made of the three modes, guṇa-mayī, is certainly difficult to overcome, hi duratyayā! But those who surrender to Me, mām eva ye prapadyante, they overcome this illusory energy, māyām etām taranti te!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Māyā (mah-yah) is key, kids! It's God's special, spiritual energy that creates illusions in the material world. It's powerful and hard to escape, duratyayā, but Krishna gives us the secret: surrender to Him!

"Na mām duṣkṛtinaḥ mūḍhāḥ prapadyante nara-adhamāḥ māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ āsuram bhāvam āśritāḥ."¹⁵ "Miscreants, duṣkṛtinaḥ, who are foolish, mūḍhāḥ, and the lowest among mankind, nara-adhamāḥ, do not surrender to Me, na mām prapadyante! Their knowledge is stolen by the illusory energy, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, and they accept a demonic nature, āsuram bhāvam āśritāḥ!"

How God Rewards Everyone's Approach¹⁶

graph TD B[Four kinds of pious people serve God: distressed, inquisitive, desire-filled, and knowledgeable.] B --> C[Among them, the knowledgeable devotee with single devotion is special; God is dear to him, and he to God.] C --> D[All these devotees are generous; but the knowledgeable one is like God Himself, seeing Him as the highest goal.] D --> E[After many births, a knowledgeable soul surrenders to God, knowing Krishna is everything; such a great soul is very rare.]

Krishna explains that He rewards everyone according to how they surrender to Him. He clarifies why some people worship different gods for quick material results, while He offers the ultimate liberation. He describes four types of pious people who approach Him, highlighting the knowledgeable devotee as dearest.

"Catuḥ-vidhāḥ bhajante mām janāḥ su-kṛtinaḥ arjuna ārtaḥ jijñāsuḥ artha-arthī jñānī ca bharata-ṛṣabha."¹⁶ "O Arjuna, arjuna, O great one among Bharatas, bharata-ṛṣabha! Four kinds of pious people, catuḥ-vidhāḥ janāḥ su-kṛtinaḥ, serve Me, bhajante mām: the distressed, ārtaḥ; the inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ; those desiring material gain, artha-arthī; and those who know things as they are, jñānī!"

"Teṣām jñānī nitya-yuktaḥ eka-bhaktiḥ viśiṣyate priyaḥ hi jñāninaḥ atyartham aham saḥ ca mama priyaḥ."¹⁷ "Among them, teṣām, the one in full knowledge, jñānī, who is always connected, nitya-yuktaḥ, with single devotion, eka-bhaktiḥ, is special, viśiṣyate! Indeed, hi, I am very dear, priyaḥ atyartham, to the knowledgeable person, jñāninaḥ; and he, saḥ ca, is dear to Me, mama priyaḥ!"

"Udārāḥ sarve eva ete jñānī tu ātmā eva me matam āsthitaḥ saḥ hi yukta-ātmā mām eva anuttamām gatim."¹⁸ "All these types of devotees are magnanimous, udārāḥ sarve eva ete! But the knowledgeable one, jñānī tu, is just like Myself, ātmā eva me matam! He is fixed in My opinion, āsthitaḥ saḥ hi, and engaged in devotion to Me, yukta-ātmā mām eva, as the highest destination, anuttamām gatim!"

"Bahūnām janmanām ante jñāna-vān mām prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti saḥ mahā-ātmā su-durlabhaḥ."¹⁹ "After many, many births, bahūnām janmanām ante, one who is in full knowledge, jñāna-vān, surrenders to Me, mām prapadyate, knowing that Krishna, Vāsudevaḥ, is everything, sarvam iti! Such a great soul, saḥ mahā-ātmā, is very rare to see, su-durlabhaḥ!"

Why People Worship Other Gods and What They Get²⁰

graph TD B[Knowledge stolen by desires; people surrender to other gods; controlled by nature.] B --> C[Whoever worships any god form with faith, God makes that faith steady.] C --> D[Endowed with faith, one worships that god and obtains desires; arranged by God.] D --> E[Results for less intelligent are temporary. God-worshippers go to God; others to gods.]

Krishna explains why some people, driven by material desires, choose to worship other gods instead of Him. He clarifies that even then, He is the one who strengthens their faith and arranges for their desires to be fulfilled, but warns that the results of such worship are temporary.

"Kāmaiḥ taiḥ taiḥ hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ tam tam niyamam āsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā."²⁰ "Those whose knowledge, jñānāḥ, is stolen, hṛta, by various desires, kāmaiḥ taiḥ taiḥ, surrender to other gods, prapadyante anya-devatāḥ! They are controlled by their own nature, prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā, following specific rules, tam tam niyamam āsthāya!"

"Yaḥ yaḥ yām yām tanum bhaktaḥ śraddhayā arcitum icchati tasya tasya acalām śraddhām tām eva vidadhāmi aham."²¹ "Whoever, yaḥ yaḥ, desires to worship, arcitum icchati, with faith, śraddhayā, any form of a god, yām yām tanum, I, aham, surely, eva, make his faith in that form steady, tasya tasya acalām śraddhām tām vidadhāmi!"

"Saḥ tayā śraddhayā yuktaḥ tasya ārādhanam īhate labhate ca tataḥ kāmān mayā eva vihitān hi tān."²² "Endowed with that faith, saḥ tayā śraddhayā yuktaḥ, he aspires to worship that god, tasya ārādhanam īhate! And he obtains his desires, labhate ca kāmān, for they are certainly arranged by Me alone, mayā eva vihitān hi tān!"

"Anta-vat tu phalam teṣām tat bhavati alpa-medhasām devān deva-yajaḥ yānti mat-bhaktāḥ yānti mām api."²³ "But the results, phalam, for those with less intelligence, alpa-medhasām, are temporary, anta-vat tu! Those who worship the gods, devān deva-yajaḥ, go to the gods, devān yānti! But My devotees, mat-bhaktāḥ, come to Me, yānti mām api!"

Seeing Beyond: How to Truly Know God²⁴

graph TD B[Less intelligent people think God takes a material form, not knowing His eternal nature.] B --> C[God is not manifest to everyone; covered by His Yoga-maya internal potency.] C --> D[This foolish world does not understand God, who is unborn and inexhaustible.] D --> E[God knows all beings of past, present, and future; but no one truly knows Him.] E --> F[All living beings are born into delusion from the illusion of duality, which arises from desire and hate.]

Krishna explains that less intelligent people mistakenly think He takes on a material form from an unmanifested state, not knowing His eternal, supreme nature. He is not visible to everyone, being covered by His internal energy, Yoga-maya. He states that He knows all past, present, and future beings, but no one truly knows Him.

"Avyaktam vyaktim āpannam manyante mām abuddhayaḥ param bhāvam ajānantaḥ mama avyayam anuttamam."²⁴ "Less intelligent people, abuddhayaḥ, think Me, mām, who am unmanifested, avyaktam, have taken on a personality, vyaktim āpannam, not knowing My supreme, param, imperishable, avyayam, finest nature, anuttamam bhāvam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Avyaktam (a-vyak-tam) means 'unmanifested' or 'invisible.' Krishna is saying that some people think He just appears like a regular person from nowhere, but they don't understand His true, eternal, divine form. They mistake Him for someone ordinary.

"Na aham prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ mūḍhaḥ ayam na abhijānāti lokaḥ mām ajam avyayam."²⁵ "I am not manifest, na aham prakāśaḥ, to everyone, sarvasya, being covered by My internal potency, yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ! This foolish world, mūḍhaḥ ayam lokaḥ, does not understand Me, na abhijānāti mām, who am unborn, ajam, and inexhaustible, avyayam!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Yoga-māyā (yo-ga-mah-yah) is a powerful term, kids! It means 'internal mystic energy.' It's God's special power that makes Him appear human or hides His true greatness from those who aren't ready to see. It's not illusion in a bad way, but a divine arrangement.

"Veda aham samatītāni vartamānāni ca arjuna bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni mām tu veda na kaścana."²⁶ "I, aham, know all beings, bhūtāni, of the past, samatītāni, present, vartamānāni, and future, bhaviṣyāṇi, O Arjuna, arjuna! But no one, na kaścana, truly knows Me, mām tu veda!"

"Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata sarva bhūtāni sammoham sarge yānti param-tapa."²⁷ "O descendant of Bharata, bhārata, O conqueror of enemies, param-tapa! All living entities, sarva bhūtāni, are born into delusion, sammoham yānti sarge, by the illusion of duality, dvandva-mohena, which arises from desire, icchā, and hate, dveṣa-samutthena!"

The Path to Freedom from Duality²⁸

graph TD B[Those whose sins are destroyed by pious acts are free from duality and serve God with determination.] B --> C[Those striving for liberation from old age/death by taking God's shelter know God, spiritual identity, and pure actions.] C --> D[Those who know God as connected to material manifestation, gods, and sacrifices, know Him even at death.]

Krishna explains that those who are free from sin and doubt are able to truly serve Him. They are able to escape the cycle of old age and death by taking shelter in Him, understanding everything about the spiritual truth.

"Yeṣām tu anta-gatam pāpam janānām puṇya-karmaṇām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ bhajante mām dṛḍha-vratāḥ."²⁸ "But those persons, janānām, whose sins, pāpam, are completely destroyed, anta-gatam, because of their previous pious activities, puṇya-karmaṇām—they become free from the illusion of duality, dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ, and serve Me, bhajante mām, with determination, dṛḍha-vratāḥ!"

"Jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya mām āśritya yatanti ye te brahma tat viduḥ kṛtsnam adhyātmam karma ca akhilam."²⁹ "Those who strive, yatanti ye, taking shelter in Me, mām āśritya, for liberation from old age and death, jarā-maraṇa-mokṣāya—they truly know God (Brahman), te brahma tat viduḥ, and everything about spiritual identity, kṛtsnam adhyātmam, and all about pure actions, karma ca akhilam!"

"Sa-adhibhūta adhidaivam mām sa-adhiyajñam ca ye viduḥ prayāṇa-kāle api ca mām te viduḥ yukta-cetasaḥ."³⁰ "Those who know Me, ye viduḥ mām, as connected to the material manifestation, sa-adhibhūta, and connected to all the gods, adhidaivam, and also connected to all sacrifices, sa-adhiyajñam—they, te, with their minds engaged in Me, yukta-cetasaḥ, know Me even at the time of death, prayāṇa-kāle api!"

Wow, kids! What an amazing chapter! Lord Krishna pulled back the curtain and revealed His two incredible energies, how He's the essence of everything, and why some people can't see Him while others can. He gave us the ultimate secret: surrendering to Him is the way to conquer illusion and find true freedom!

Next time, we'll dive into Chapter Eight, where Arjuna asks even more profound questions about death, rebirth, and remembering God at the end of life. Get ready for more incredible lessons!